Scouring-soap cake



R. B. KINGMAN SCOURING SOAP CAKE Oct. 9, 1928.

Filed Oct. 1925 INVENTOR. [Q22 mam fiusse/% E BY W A ATTORNEYS.

' form of suitabl pane; 0a. 9, 1 928 UN TED s1" B' USSELL B. KINGMAN, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB TO METAL TEXTILfi COB- PORTION, .AOOBPOBATION OF BHODE ISLAHD.

' scounrne-soar cm.

Application fled October 8, 1925. 8r1a1 No. 61,284. M

This invention relates, generally, to im-' provements in soap cakes; and the invention hasreference,"m0re particularly, to a novel construction of soap cake within the body of which is imbedded a scouring element composed of a more; or less resilient foraminous mass of abrasive-material, the interstices of-which are'permeated by the soap substance, when theicake is molded to desired shape. I

The inveiition has for its principal object to provide in combination with a molded or hard soapcake, a mass of substantially splinterless abrasive .material imbedded withinthe soap cake body, so as to provide a scouring element which will expose itself htuting at the exterior surface of the soap cake when the latter isused, whereby the abrasive action thereof will simultaneously cooperate with the solvent cleansing properties of the soap substance, when the soap cake is em ployed for va'riousscouring and cleansing operations. I U

This invention has for more specific object to provide in combination with a molded or relatively hard soap cake, a body of abrasive material in the form of a knittedor woven fabric rolled or folded upon itself "a knitted metallic fabric for making up te or otherwise balled up into a mass of desired shape having resiliently compressible characteristics, while at 'the same time providing throughout said mass a multiplicity of intercommunicating interstices through which the soap substance forming the cake may penetrate when said soap substance is molded around the mass to imbed the same in the finished cake. Preferably the fabric is knitted or woven from thin flattened copper threads or wire, although I mayalso employa composite'fabric material in the combined threads or strands of metallic and vegetable fiber material, and, when but mild abrasive efl'ects are desired, I may even employ a fabric made of vegetable fiber threads or strands only. 1

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which I Figure 1 is a plan view of a knit metallic fabric which is the preferred form of fabric from which is made the abrasive scouring vantage of formin ner of-interfolding or balling the fabric into the core 01' mass to be imbedded in the body of a soap cake.

- Figure 3 is an elevation of the finished soap cake provided with the securing element in the form of an imbedded mass of the fabric.

Fi ure 4 is a longitudinal section throu h the finished'soap cake provided" with novel imbedded sc'ourin element.

Similar characters 0 reference are employed inall of the hereinabove describedviews, to indicate corresponding arts.

As above mentioned, the fa ric from which the highly foraminous mass constithe scouring element is composed under the general or'. broad aspects of my invention, be knitted or woven so as to provide either an all metal fabric, a composite metal and vegetable fiber fabric, or an all vegetable fiberfabric, according to' the degree of abrasive effect desired to be provided in connection with the-completed soap cake. For the purposes of illustration, and for the further reason that such form of fabric is preferable in most instances, I have shown in the accompanying drawin s foraminous resilient scouring element. Referring to said drawings, the reference character the 86 indicates a section of knitted metallic fabric made from a thread or strand-of thin,

preferably flat, metallic wire of, a" suitable degree of hardness, and preferably of a nonco'rrosive metal such as copper. A piece of the metallic fabric thus formed, of requisite area or extent, is interfolded or rolled upon itself, or otherwise balled up into a rela-' tively loosely compacted mass or body of desired shape adapted to provide the scouring element. S, as shown in Figure 2. This scouring element will provide a more or less resilient and highly foraminous body, the interior of which possesses a multiplicity of intercommunicatin interstices; The adthe scouring element S of the knit,metall1c fabric lies in the fact that metallic fibers or strands are firmly interlocked together by the knitting opera tion, and consequently, in use, there is little or no tendency of portions of the metallic fibers orstrands breakin away or splintering off, and thereupon lodging ir he fingers of the user, or shedding ofl' upon the sur-. faces Iundergoing cleaning operations. In

other words, the scouring element when made of either a knit or woven fabric pro vides a splinterless abrasive body.

The scouring element S thus formed is now ready to be imbedded within a soap body or cake. This may be accomplished in any manner found expedient. For example, the foraminous scouring element S may be inserted in a soap mold, and thereupon the soap substance may be run into the mold, so as to both penetrate and fill the interstices of the scouring element S, as well as to surround the exterior sides there'of, all so that, when the soap substance sets or hardens a solid soap cake C is formed, within which is imbedded the scouring element S, whereby the loosely compacted and resilient mass of the latter permeates the body of said soap cake 0.

It will be understood that the soap substance may consist of any desired kind of socalled hard soap; and, if desired, the soap substance may comprise a compound of saponaceous and other cleansing or scouring ingredients, i. e. the soap substance may also contain in mixture therewith any desired cleaning, scouring or similar material, such e. g. as silicon, sand, etc.

In the use of the above described novel construction of combined soap cake and scouring element, the soap'substance will soften at its exterior surfaces, and will produce a dirt and grease solvent suds in the well understood manner. As the exterior surface of the soap substance softens and.

wears down the scouring element S is exposed at the surface of the cake, and the exposed surfaces of said scouring element, and particularly the metallic projections prothis 3rd day of October, 1925.

vided thereby, will, when rubbed upon the surface to be cleansed and'scoured, produce a marked abrasive effect, which will efficiently loosen and scrape away encrusted dirt, grease and other soils. Owing to the more or less resilient character of the scouring element S, it follows that, as the soap substance wears away and is given off from the cake, the body of the scouring element will not only yield so as to further exude or expel soap substance, but will also, as the same is more and more exposed, tend to flatten down upon and conform to the surface upon which the cake is pressed and against which it is rubbed, so as to produce a very effective scouring operationl Having thus described my invention, I

1. An article for scouring and cleansing uses comprising an abrasive scouring ele-v mentconsisting of a resilient loosely compacted mass of comparatively open mesh metallic fabric material to form a foraminous body, and a hard so-apimpregnating said body and molded about the same to fill the interstices thereof. I

2. An article for scouring and cleansing uses comprising an abrasive scouring element consisting of a knitted open mesh fabric made of flat copper wire formed into a loosely compacted resilient and foraminous mass and a hard soap impregnating said mass'and molded about the same so asto the interstices thereof.

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand RUSSELL B. KINGMAN. 

